Unidentified Country Wants To Buy 32 “Gokbey” Helicopters from Turkiye

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Recently, the top management of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) announced that their medium-sized helicopter, the “T625 Gokbey,” has received a $1 billion offer (RM4.5 billion) from an undisclosed country.

The revelation was made by TAI’s CEO, Prof. Temel Kotil, in a recent interview with a local Turkish television station. The unnamed country intends to acquire a total of 32 “Gokbey” helicopters developed by TAI.

If this offer is realized, the involved country will become the first export market for locally produced medium-sized helicopters from Turkey’s aerospace industry. However, Kotil has refrained from disclosing the identity of the country offering $1 billion for the 32 helicopters, which made their maiden flight in 2018.

Kotil’s statement about the “Gokbey” helicopters has sparked speculation about the countries interested in acquiring these 32 helicopters. As is customary, speculations include countries in the Gulf and the Middle East with substantial financial resources, including Malaysia and several others.

Malaysia is included in this speculation due to its recent tendency to acquire defense systems from Turkey, with the “KARAOK” anti-tank guided missile system manufactured by ROKETSAN being the latest choice for the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).

In April of the previous year, local media reports indicated that the Negeri Sembilan state government hoped to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TAI, signed the previous year, to develop the Negeri Sembilan Aerospace Valley (NSAV) by the end of the current year.

At that time, Datuk Dr. Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek, the State’s Investment, Industrial, Entrepreneurship, Education, and Human Capital Development Exco (pre-State Election), mentioned TAI’s plans to install helicopters and light aircraft at NSAV.

The “Gokbey” multi-role helicopter from TAI is a new-generation model with two engines, capable of carrying six tons of cargo and configured to meet various mission requirements, including VIP transport, emergency medical services, offshore operations, and search and rescue missions, thanks to its spacious cabin.

With a standard fuel tank capacity of 1,020 kg, the “Gokbey” helicopter can stay in the air for 3 hours and 48 minutes and cover a distance of 740 km at a speed of 306 km/h.

The “Gokbey” multi-role helicopter can operate in adverse weather conditions, at high altitudes, and in high-temperature environments. It can even remain airborne if one of its two engines experiences a malfunction and fails to function.

TAI began supplying the “Gokbey” to the Turkish police force at the end of the previous year. This locally produced Turkish helicopter was initially developed in 2013 in response to the government’s desire for a domestically manufactured medium-sized multi-purpose helicopter.

Although the current “Gokbey” helicopters still use Rolls-Royce-Honeywell engines with 1,300 horsepower, similar to those used in the T129 ATAK helicopters, Turkey is in the process of developing domestic engines for helicopters in collaboration with Ukraine.

Only when the “Gokbey” is equipped with TEI-TS1400 engines produced by Turkey’s subsidiary, TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI), will Turkey become the seventh country in the world capable of manufacturing helicopters with entirely domestic components. — DSA